He has a heart of stone... but for her he's burn the world.
Kieran Diaz has thought about one thing since he was seven years old: killing the man who murdered his father. He doesn't have time for love and that's just the way he likes it.
But when he...
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"YOU'RE GOING TO MEET PRINCE CHARMING." Jennifer wobbled her pen between her fingers with a wistful smile. "The Prince of Denmark, the Duke of Casnea, and the Prince of Meldovia have all RSVP'd for your birthday ball. It's going to be an epic night."
"Of course it is. I'll be there." Sofia joked.
It's been a week since my trip to Miami, and Jennifer, Sofia, Camila, and I were having our monthly sleepover at Jennifer's apartment. We were all wearing our matching pajamas per Jennifer's request.
"On a serious note, your birthday party is going to be so much fun, Cami." I told her.
"I hope so."
"Speaking of Prince Charming... You and Kieran still not speaking to each other?"
"No," I sighed.
Truth was, Kieran and I haven't seen or spoken to each other ever since we had our fight the night we came home from dinner with my parents.
That was a six days ago.
"I'm sorry Dolly," Sofia rubbed my back in soothing motion.
"Maybe we were just kidding ourselves." I said.
"Couples fight. I'd be more worried if you guys didn't," Sofia said.
"I guess you're right. But everything was going so well until then." I placed my spoon back in the bowl of sauce before I turned and leaned a hip against the counter. "If I had just told my parents we were too jetlag for dinner last night, maybe we wouldn't have gotten into an argument," I said just as my phone buzzed on the counter and I saw what name flashed on the screen.
My heart leapt in my throat. I hadn't spoken to Kieran since our argument, which is why I wanted to ignore his text message but something told me to just see what he wanted.
Kieran: Meet me at Valentina's.
I was curious.
Once I told my friends about Kieran's text, they permitted me to leave and I changed out of my pajamas, stopped by my apartment, and changed clothing before taking a ride-share to Antoinette's, where Kieran waited for me outside.
My heart thudded inside my chest with every step that brought me closer to him. The sidewalks were teeming with families, teenagers, and tourists, but Kieran stood out like a star against the night sky, Even in a simple pair of jeans and a white shirt, he stood out.
"Hi," I said, as I wrapped my arms around myself.
"Hi."
"How was your week??" We hadn't seen or spoken to each other since last night so I had no idea what he did today.
"Miserable without you." He shoved his hands inside his jeans.
I missed him. I missed us. It's only been a week, but he was the only person who's presence I craved from the time the sun rose in the morning to when it set at night. I never wanted to be apart from him and that scared and thrilled the hell out of me.
My eyes land on the bouquet of dahlias. Pink and purple blended into one another in a stunning arrangement. "Are those for me?"
"They are." He sobered up.
"They're beautiful," I said, gently accepting the flowers. "Thank you."
"I wanted to apologize for how we left things the other night... I could've communicated my frustrations better. I'm sorry."
"You weren't the only one who could've communicated better," I sighed. "And you weren't wrong. I do need to tell my parents about the path I want to pursue. It's not them I'm worried about letting down. It's me." I confessed. "You made me see that and I was angry at you for it when I should've said thank you."
"You're designs matter. Your passion matters. There is enough space in the fashion world for you and your mom. You don't have to hide it, you don't have to compare the two. When you're ready to show your parents and the world how incredibly talented you are, I'll be there for you."
We walked inside the boutique, which featured a stunning display of gowns by Valentina Rossi. Visiting her boutique was always a bucket list item of mine for years, but I was always either having surgery or recovering and I'd been so distracted by the new move and my classes that I didn't even realize she had a soft opening this month.
"I'm surprised you had me meet you here," I said.
"You shouldn't be. Fashion is important to you," Kieran said. "So it's important to me."
Warmth curled in my stomach. Damn him for being so sweet. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
I turned my head before the heat radiating between us could turn me into mush. "Are we trespassing or something? I can't help but notice that there isn't anyone else here." There was no way Valentina Rossi had a pop-up store and it was empty. Two years ago when I went with mom to her Milan opening, there were lines outside the door, paparazzi and a news crew all waiting to be a part of the momentous occasion.
"I bought out the entire collection," Kieran said casually. "Now everything you wear will be one of a kind just like you."
It was hard to stay mad at him when he said things like that. I turned to Kieran to find him already looking at me. My heart lurched at the look in his eyes. When he looked at me like that, it was impossible not to fall deeper for him.
I erased the distance between us, tentatively placing my hands on his shoulder. His eyes softened as he scanned my face before he leaned down and captured my lips.
Unlike our other kisses, this one was slow and more passionate. It was sweet and unhurried.
My dress. His shirt. My panties. His boxers.
One by one clothing was discarded and thrown onto the floor. My breath is trapped in my throat when Kieran joins our bodies together with one powerful thrust. The tile was cool against my back but Kieran's warm body quickly chased it away. The next few minutes are filled with the sounds of our mingled breaths, damp skin slapping against each other, his grunts, and my moans. And when I come apart underneath him, clinging to him so hard I'm sure there will be marks, it was then that I knew with unwavering clarity that I was his.
